Organizing for Collective Action: The Political Economies of Associations

Social Institutions and Social Change

by David Knoke

Organizing for Collective Action investigates the political and economic behaviors of national associations, including trade associations, professional societies, labor unions, and public interest groups. It focuses upon the ways that these organizations acquire resources and allocate them to various collective actions, particularly for member services, public relations, and political action. This analysis is structured around three broad theoretical paradigms for collective action: (1) the problem of societal integration which concerns the ways that people are tied to organizations and the ways that organizations connect their members with the larger society; (2) the problem of organizational governance which considers how individuals become unified collectivities capable of acting in a coordinated manner, and (3) the problem of public policy influence which involves interactions among public and private interest groups to formulate the binding decisions under which we all must live.

Hardcover

First published December 31, 1990

Reviews

[Bryan Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite its age, it gives an empirical glimpse into the makeup of collective organizations, lending insight to how these groups can interact with their members and public policy.